Mom’s Twelve Days Of Christmas

It’s Christmas time once again, and I couldn’t let the season go by without resurrecting this gift to all of the amazing moms out there. Please sing these lyrics as loud as you can to evoke knowing smiles and overwhelming feelings of camaraderie with mothers around the world.

Mom’s Twelve Days Of Christmas
Lyrics thoughtfully revised by Mindi K. Flowers

On the first day of Christmas, my children gave to me
A chance to be a referee.

On the second day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the third day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Six temper tantrums
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Seven Christmas Concerts
Six temper tantrums
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Eight hairs-a-greyin’
Seven Christmas Concerts
Six temper tantrums
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Nine ornaments crashing
Eight hairs-a-greyin’
Seven Christmas Concerts
Six temper tantrums
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Ten songs-a-singin’
Nine ornaments crashing
Eight hairs-a-greyin’
Seven Christmas Concerts
Six temper tantrums
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Eleven presents peeking
Ten songs-a-singin’
Nine ornaments crashing
Eight hairs-a-greyin’
Seven Christmas Concerts
Six temper tantrums
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my children gave to me
Twelve smiles heartwarming
Eleven presents peeking
Ten songs-a-singin’
Nine ornaments crashing
Eight hairs-a-greyin’
Seven Christmas Concerts
Six temper tantrums
Five handmade things
Four joyous moments
Three accidents
Two hugs with love
And another chance to be a referee.

Have a wonderful and amazing holiday season!

Reading Or Memorizing?

Children love to experience the same, enjoyable activities over and over again. It brings comfort to a child to watch something unfold, exactly as it has for them in the past. It sends a message. It says, there are things in life that you can rely on to be consistent. Children tend to be drawn to that uniform world, and we as adults support that objective by repeating the same pleasurable encounters for them.

Do it again

If you have small children around then I’ll bet that you hear that, a lot! We get the joy of playing the same games with our kids, singing the same familiar songs, and of course, we read the same books to our children time after time. Now, consistency has its place, however being consistent does not nurture a child’s curiosity or stimulate their problem solving abilities. So, its up to us as the adults, to ask questions that will help our children be innovative thinkers. Read more…

Stress Free Kids

Stress is a part of life, every life. You can’t avoid it. Sometimes stress can be a good thing…. when it gives us positive results. But, too much stress is not good for anyone. Children can and will stress about many things such as taking a test, getting good grades, or even whether or not they will be picked to be part of a team. For our younger children, stress can by caused by simple, every day frustrations. Unfortunately, many children don’t know of a constructive way to release their anxieties, and that could lead to a troubled child, which in turn could lead to some troubled parents.

Thankfully, there are things we can do to help our children relax and think clearly. The same relaxation techniques that are used for adults can also be used for children. I’ve recently been introduced to a wonderful place called, Stress Free Kids. I’ve been impressed not only by their mission, but with all of their innovative products as well. Read more…

Spelling Lists That Entertain The Brain

Do you remember when you were a kid and had to remember an entire list of spelling words? I do… and I found it very tedious and really boring. Now, when my own children bring home their spelling lists and work hard to remember all of those words, I try to make it into something a little more interesting.

Keep in mind that every aspect of these spelling words is important.
Don’t just focus on how to spell these words correctly, but also make sure that your child knows each definition and how to use every word properly in a sentence. Read more…

Making The Grade

What do you expect from your children when they get their report cards? To always make the grade? What is the grade that you feel your child is capable of making?

When I was a kid my parents were happy as long as I kept at least a C average…. and somehow I think that spoke to me. It made me think that being an average student was a fine place to be. Maybe it is a fine place to be, if you can say that you worked really hard, and studied for hours, and that was the very best you could do. But, for the most part, I couldn’t say that. Read more…

Play~Unplugged!

When the kids are stuck indoors its easy to rely on electronics for entertainment, but sometimes we as parents have got to help the kids get their creative juices flowing the old fashioned way. Currently, at my house, we are going on day three of no school due to the weather. It wouldn’t be so bad if the kids could play outside, but unfortunately they are stuck inside since it keeps on raining along with the freezing cold temperatures. Now, its one thing for it to be cold while you’re playing outside, but being wet and cold is just no fun!

So…. what are the kids to do? We don’t watch much T.V. at home, but my kids do love to play video games and use computers. Once in a while however, I pull the plug on them. Around here we even have a name for a day like this. We call it: Read more…

Mrs. P ~ A Rave Review

Imagine a place with an endless supply of children’s books. Not just any books, but classic stories such as those we as adults had treasured in childhood. Now, add to that some magic and a loving character that mimics the coolest grandmother you’d ever hope to meet, and you’ve got Mrs.P’s.

Mrs. P’s is an interactive website that is smart, warm and light hearted. Oh, and did I mention that the site is free? It is! F.R.E.E. Mrs. P’s is a place where you’ll find all kinds of little surprises at every click. I have really been impressed with this site and even better, so has my daughter. It brings me so much joy to watch my little girls’ face light up while she shows me all of the virtual goodies offered there. Read more…

Focus On The Family

What have you done lately to reconnect with your kids? Although we want our children to have the best of everything, sometimes this is a goal that consumes us and we can lose focus. This week I encourage you to do things a little different. Turn off the T.V. and keep it off. Try something new with your kids or maybe do something you haven’t done in a while. Read more…

Big Universe-Review

There’s a great big universe out there waiting to be explored by our children. But, before you get them all suited up for their upcoming journey, they’ll have to gain some knowledge about making this trip and learn about what to do once they reach their destination. Books are a valuable resource, one where you can learn about everything from sports, to fashion, and even rocket science. If there is any subject you’d like to learn more about, a great place to start is with the opening of a book. Read more….

Bookworm Basics – Every Day Activities

Repetition is the key to learning. If you’ve been here before, you know that is a recurring theme here and if this is your first time visiting, I guarantee it is a phrase you will hear often when visiting B.A. Bookworm.

Repetition is key, especially when you are teaching a toddler/preschooler. Since you are so busy and a little one has such a short attention span then this is a match made in heaven! You just have to integrate mini lessons into your daily routines. Read more…